BRIDGING THE DIVIDE: REACHING THE POTENTIAL OF TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE OLDER ADULTS’ WELL-BEING AND QUALITY OF LIFE

Abstract Existing and emerging technologies hold great promise with respect to improving the lives of older adults, in particular, by supporting and enhancing their independence, productivity, health, safety, social connectivity, and quality of life. Unfortunately, although differences in technology use and adoption between younger and older adults have declined over the past decades, barriers still exist that fully prevent the promise of technology from being realized to achieve these aims. This presentation will provide an overview of the current state of the intersection of aging and technology (nationally and internationally), with special attention to factors such as diversity, disability, and geographic region. Next, I will discuss approaches available to reduce the digital divide. These include changing the person (e.g., changing attitudes and proficiency) and changing the technology (human factors engineering). I will then discuss how a user-centered design process is crucial for the success of technology-based interventions. Without placing the user at the center of the design process, many novel technology solutions will likely fail to reach their potential. Finally, I will conclude with a discussion of if and when the age-related digital divide might close entirely by projecting changes in demographics, technology proficiency, technology proliferation, and technology change into the future.

Existing and emerging technologies hold great promise with respect to improving the lives of older adults, in particular, by supporting and enhancing their independence, productivity, health, safety, social connectivity, and quality of life.Unfortunately, although differences in technology use and adoption between younger and older adults have declined over the past decades, barriers still exist that fully prevent the promise of technology from being realized to achieve these aims.This presentation will provide an overview of the current state of the intersection of aging and technology (nationally and internationally), with special attention to factors such as diversity, disability, and geographic region.Next, I will discuss approaches available to reduce the digital divide.These include changing the person (e.g., changing attitudes and proficiency) and changing the technology (human factors engineering).I will then discuss how a user-centered design process is crucial for the success of technology-based interventions.Without placing the user at the center of the design process, many novel technology solutions will likely fail to reach their potential.Finally, I will conclude with a discussion of if and when the age-related digital divide might close entirely by projecting changes in demographics, technology proficiency, technology proliferation, and technology change into the future.

CHALLENGING IDEAS OF CONSTANT CONNECTION AND DIGITAL INCLUSION
Shelia Cotten, and Amy Schuster, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, United States 1We live in a world where we are constantly connected to devices.This constant digital connection is where many individuals communicate and exchange social support with social ties.For most, this results in being online and connected to devices multiple times each day.Older adults have been slower to adopt and use emerging technologies.This presentation challenges the concept of digital inclusion by focusing on older adults and their technology use.We provide an overview of technology usage by different age groups using existing national level data.Next, we utilize life course and aging theoretical perspectives to help articulate that while a constant connection to devices may be normative for younger age groups, this may not, and perhaps should not, be the case for older adults.We conclude with a discussion of the social construction of digital inclusion and emphasize the significant variation that exists in this construct.
Abstract citation ID: igad104.0821Digital technology has become critical for making social connections and providing social support during COVID-19.However, social isolation challenges disproportionately affected older adults living alone in low-income communities due to a lack of internet access, digital technology ownership, and limited capital.We conducted a mixed-methods study to examine the role of digital technology in this population to keep socially connected during the national lockdown (N=25; 76% African American).Of the participants, 36% reported social isolation, and 36% reported loneliness.Both quantitative and qualitative data illustrate differential experiences of technology use for remaining socially connected.The qualitative data from focus group interviews show that participants were forced to adapt to the isolated situation quickly by learning about new ways of connecting with others through technology.This enabled a long-overdue adoption of digital technologies among individuals who had experienced digital exclusion before the pandemic.Despite the high interest in digital technology-enabled social connections, concerns about its surveilling nature, the possibility of over-dependence on technology, and negative technology experiences due to unreliable functions or lack of tech support made them hesitant to adopt new technology.Future research should highlight the need to include older adults in all stages of technological solution development that recognize the sociocultural context of use with a focus on growthoriented opportunities for older people.

RAPID DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION EXPERIENCES FOR SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS AMONG LOW-INCOME OLDER ADULTS
Abstract citation ID: igad104.0822

PREDICTING OLDER ADULTS' CONTINUED COMPUTER USE AFTER INITIAL ADOPTION Shenghao Zhang, and Walter Boot, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States
Digital technologies have the potential to help older adults in various aspects of their lives, but older adults need to adopt and keep using the new technologies to reap the benefits.Previous research on digital divide mainly focuses on adoption and acceptance of new technologies, and little is known about what might influence actual use and disuse after this initial stage.The current study modeled changes in constructs related to computer use after initial computer adoption and examined whether these changes predict continued use.We used data from the computer arm (N = 150, MAge = 76.15) of a 12-month field trial examining the potential benefits of computer use in older adults.Individual differences identified in the technology acceptance literature (perceived usefulness, ease of use, computer interest, computer self-efficacy, computer anxiety, quality of life, social isolation, and social support) were measured before (baseline), during (month 6), and after the intervention (posttest).Univariate and bivariate latent change score models examined changes in each predictor and their potential causal relationship with use.Results demonstrated large inter-individual differences in the change patterns of individual difference factors examined.Change in perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and computer interest, computer self-efficacy, and computer anxiety were correlated with but not predictive of change in use.Our findings demonstrate the limitation of popular constructs in technology acceptance literature in predicting continued use after initial adoption and point out important gaps in knowledge to be targeted in future investigations.